Ready-To-Eat ("R-T-E") cereals are popular food items and exist in large numbers of varieties. R-T-E cereals, especially those comprising whole grain, are known as good sources of fiber. A good description of the literature pertaining to the health discussion on the role of fiber is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,045 (issued Oct. 11, 1988 to Vanderveer et al. and is entitled High Bran Snack) which is incorporated herein by reference. In view of the health interest in fiber, high fiber cereals are increasingly popular. These cereals typically contain added levels of insoluble fiber sources, especially corn and wheat bran, and range generally from about 2-5 g fiber/oz cereal. Some cereals are formulated from all bran sources and can contain up to 8-10g/oz fiber. High fiber cereals using purified insoluble fiber sources and artificial sweeteners can even contain as high as 8-13 g fiber/oz of cereal. Generally, high fiber cereals while containing high levels of insoluble fiber contain low levels of soluble fiber.
The food art has recently experienced great interest in dietary fiber which has resulted in rapid development in the understanding of fiber. "Total dietary fiber" is a relatively new term for what used to be known colloquially as bulk, roughage, bran, etc. and generally is a collective term embracing various fiber types. Broadly, however, total dietary fiber includes two categories of fiber; namely, insoluble dietary fiber ("IDF") and soluble dietary fiber ("SDF").
Increasing the insoluble fiber content of the diet has been suggested as being beneficial for such conditions as irregularity, colon cancer and even varicose veins. Recently, however, soluble fiber has enjoyed great attention due to the beneficial effects of increased consumption on lowering elevated cholesterol levels (anti-hypercholesterolemia) and thus hopefully on the incidence and severity of coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis.
While popular and potentially beneficial to good nutrition, high fiber cereals are not without disadvantages. The primary concern is with the organoleptic qualities of the R-T-E cereal containing high levels of fiber. Generally, as the concentration of fiber increases, the starchy components necessarily decrease, adversely affecting the cereals' organoleptic and physical properties. High fiber cereals are often dry, exhibit very short bowl lives, yield highly frangible pieces and experience annoying compaction in interstitial areas of teeth ("teeth compaction"). Most importantly from a consumer preference standpoint, such high fiber content cereals lack the organoleptically essential property of crispness or crunchiness. R-T-E cereals fortified with soluble fiber are especially prone towards exhibiting undesirably soft and uncrisp properties.
The present invention is directed towards the provision of a high TDF fiber R-T-E cereal with superior organoleptic attributes or qualities, especially crispness and which is fortified with insoluble, or both insoluble and soluble dietary fiber. Surprisingly, the present invention provides such a superior quality high fiber R-T-E cereal which nonetheless contains a high concentration of TDF fiber. In view of the difficulties of formulating R-T-E cereals with high levels of insoluble fiber, the prior art includes many efforts at improving the qualities of insoluble fiber fortified R-T-E cereals.
Generally, previous high fiber R-T-E cereal products are unpuffed, typically in the form of flakes or shreds. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,840 (issued Feb. 5, 1985 to Gould et al.) entitled Cereal Foods Made From Oats and Method of Making. While unpuffed high IDF R-T-E cereal products are popular, it would be desirable to have a puffed and crisp high TDF R-T-E cereal. Of course, full oat flour puffed and crisp R-T-E cereals are well known and popular (e.g., Cheerios.RTM. brand R-T-E cereal). Such R-T-E cereals contain certain native levels of oat bran and thus low (relative to the present invention) levels of TDF. However, it would be desirable then to substantially fortify the cereal composition to provide a high TDF crisp, puffed cereal. Unfortunately, such fiber fortification materially adversely affects the oat cereal compositions puffability. Indeed, a high oat bran cereal composition, if high in soluble fiber exhibits poor puffability. In short, it is difficult to formulate a high TDF R-T-E cereal of desirable crispness. It is also difficult to formulate a high TDF R-T-E cereal that is puffed. To formulate a high TDF R-T-E cereal which is both crisp and puffed is extremely difficult.
Other high density or unpuffed high fiber food products containing various fiber sources are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,557, to Becker et al., discloses a snack food product prepared by pre-mixing a dietary fiber with a food grade oil; premixing a compound coating containing a fractionated fat, sweetener, milk solids, yogurt, and a flavoring agent; blending the two pre-mixtures and adding a cereal product and a dried fruit or nut; and extruding the resulting mixture into a desired shape. While useful, the product is undesirably high in fat and unpuffed.
European patent application No. 0068229, to Kleinert, discloses the addition of the seed coats (episperm) of cocoa beans in finely powdered form, to dough, bread, snacks, and chocolate to increase bulk and stimulate the intestinal tract.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,379, to Kowalsky, discloses a dietetic composition for natural digestion regulation containing whole fleawort seeds, whole linseed, wheat bran, lactose, a binding agent based on natural rubber, flavor and food color additives. The preferred binding agent is gum arabic.
Recently, improved R-T-E cereals that are fortified with soluble fiber having improved organoleptic attributes have been developed (see, for example, U.S. Ser. No. 330,245 entitled R-T-E Cereal With Psyllium, filed Mar. 29, 1989 by Ringe and U.S. Ser. No. 446,247 entitled R-T-E Cereal With Soluble Fiber, filed Dec. 5, 1989 by Ringe et al.). While these references disclose compositions of improved palatability, the taste of most products, especially R-T-E cereals, containing a sufficient amount of fiber to be efficacious continues to be a problem. Those products which are particularly rich in fiber generally employ a fat or oil to increase the palatability of the products to mask partially the dryness and/or grittiness of most fiber sources.
Thus, it is quite surprising that a high total dietary fiber organoleptically pleasing R-T-E cereal can be obtained which does not require high levels of a fat ingredient and which is both crispy and puffed. The present cereal products are essentially fabricated from a defined cooked cereal dough composition importantly defined in part by high levels of both insoluble and soluble fiber in a certain combination and formed into a puffed R-T-E cereal piece of a pillow shaped, hollow configuration.